My Story

Friday, October 01, 2010

Religious Assemblage Jewelry, and Being Faithful to the Faithful

What I most like about creating assemblage jewelry with antique religious medallions that most of them (the ones I most like) are so worn by being handled by the faithful for decades of life....for me, there is a lot of power and mystery surrounding such things. I am drawn to the mystery of faith, to the lives of Saints and the lives of those who loved them. My grandfather always wore the medal of St. Christopher around his neck for as long as I can remember, and I think that is where my inspiration and curiosity began. I am forever drawn to the aged silver; the faces rubbed plain from years of prayer and lifetimes of faith. There is no way to replicate that with a new medal. One can rub and age and smooth and darken them (believe me, I've tried), but th antique and vintage medals have a whisper of their own...one that you cannot give to it in a moment or an hour.That is why when I stumble upon antique religious medals in a shop, I feel like I am witnessing a tiny miracle of sorts...that something so small can survive for so many decades of adoration and wear. Religious medals are my most prized jewelry making item for so many reasons.

And so I am faithful to the faithful. I create something else from these medals that can be re-worn, re-cherished, and re-lived in a different way. Hopefully in a way that would give the previous owner some joy that their prayer, their faith and the mystery of Saints is given new light.

About Me

I design and create jewelry and functional assemblage art pieces for a living. I love my job! I currently sell my work on Etsy.com under the name of Sacred Cake. I've been featured in several amazing magazine publications like Somerset Life, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Jewelry Affaire and Artful Blogging. I'm also featured in a bestselling book by my sister, Kelly Rae Roberts, called "Taking Flight". I am honored to share my words and my work in such a wonderful publication. I am now on the journey of writing a book of my very own!I consider myself a sort of philanthropist on a "shoestring budget"...and I am very prone to daily random acts of kindness, singing in the grocery store, and most importantly, making people laugh.